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Buom

Phoenix Nguyen

Issue 150, Spring 1999

On an invisible star high up in the dark sky a canary yellow butterfly spread its wings, revealing a bodice of intricately woven red and purple. Down this butterfly came in a graceful descent to earth. Its wings, moving like the undulation of the sea, stirred a soft breeze laden with the fragrances of peach and jasmine blossoms. The butterfly entered the room where the district chief and Madame, both naked, lay sleeping inside a white mist of mosquito netting. It alighted atop a bedpost, its wings outspread. Steadily it grew, its bodice swelling, its wings expanding until they were like two fluttering canopies over the bed. Madame felt a chill penetrating her skin and opened her eyes to check the shutters and saw above her the magnificent wings in delicate, hypnotic motion.

She gasped, I have died and am awaiting judgment. She fumbled onto her knees to kneel at the edge of the bed with her hands tightly clasped before her chest. She turned her face up toward the sky from where she exp…